The present invention relates to suction heads, particularly used in cigar wrapping machines, for picking up and conveying a cut wrapper from the cutting table to the wrapping mechanism.

An object of the present invention is to provide a suction head with a removable bottom section which carries the usual perforated face plate for receiving the wrapper, and improved coupling means for holding the face plate to the body of the suction head with a rm gripping action to seal the face plate against the bottom of the head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wedging connection between the body of the suction head and the lower portion thereof which binds the two together incident to the assembling of the same.

The invention also aims to provide a detachable face plate for a suction head with intertting parts at opposite sides having their contacting surfaces inclined to provide wedge portions, and with at least one of the interfitting parts yieldably urged into binding position for exerting a tension on all of the coupling parts and a binding action of the plate against the bottom portion of the suction head to insure a tight t between the same.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a coupling of this character which normally exerts a binding or holding action between the parts and which may be quickly released so as to remove the face plate when it is desired to cleanse the same.

The invention also has for an object a clamping or binding device of this character for not only holding the face plate firmly against the bottom of the suction head but also to hold the face plate from shifting or becoming displaced in an edgewise direction on the suction head.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, Iand will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

- Figure 1 is a? side elevation, partly in section, of a suction head mounted on the supporting arm, and showing the face plate or bottom-section in position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through the suction head on the line 2--2 in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken through the upper portion of the suction head on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the face plate construction in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawing, the suction head 9` may be mounted on the support 2 in any suitable manner. In the present instance the support 2 is in the form of a sleeve in which is rotatably disposed a pipe section I which is enlarged and stepped at its lower end to provide a socket for the reception of the shank 8 of the suction head 9. The lower end of the pipe I is provided with a downwardly opening flange 3 providing a hollow collar, and mounted in the collar are a pair of spaced rings 4 and 5 secured by screws 6 in the collar and provided with spaced slots or recesses 1 adapted to receive projections carried on the exterior of the head shank 8, as shown in Figure 1, so that the projections when registering with the recesses 1 may pass freely through the lower ring 5 and into the recesses of the upper ring 4 as the shank is fitted in the lower end of the pipe I. A locking ring I0 having a projection at one side is tted between the rings 4 and 5, has similar slots 'I therein and is adapted to be turned within the limits of arcuate slots IIla provided in the ring I0 so that the solid portions of the ring might be brought beneath the projections of the shank 8 to lock the head to the pipe I. Of course the head 9 may be supported in any other suitable manner.`

The Suction head 9 is of the usual hollow construction with its body portion opening downwardly and against which is fitted a bottom section II. The bottom section II is hollow and of substantially plate form and has a flat lower surface or face portion adapted to receive thereagainst the wrapper from the cutting table. The bottom wall of the section II is perforated in the usual manner for holding the wrapper at against the face plate by the induced suction in the head.

At one side of the head 9, the lower section I I is provided with a wedged-shaped bead I2 having its outer face portion relatively straight and disposed in undercut relation at the upper edge of the section I I. The adjacent side of the suction head 9 is provided with a flange or claw I3 which has an inclined surface at its inner side corresponding to the slope of the outer surface of the bead I2 so that when the bead 2 is forced laterally toward the flange I3, the bead will tend to rise upon the flange and force the upper edge of the bottom section I I into tight engagement with the lower edge of the body portion of the suction head.

At the opposite side of the head 9 the bottom section II is provided with a bead I4 similar to head. The bead I4 of the bottom section II is of less length but is of sufficient length to closely seat against a spring latch I6 which is pivoted upon a pin II mounted in suitable lugs provided on the side of the suction head 9. The latch I6 is of lever form with its lower end I bent inwardly to. provide a claw or ange opposed to the ange I3 at the opposite side of the head.

The inclination of the claw I5 is such that the inner flat side thereof engages flat against the inclined face of the bead I4 so that .by the inward pressure of the claw I5 the bead I4 will be forced upwardly .to hold the bottom section II tight against the suction head 9. l

The upper end of the latch lever I G extends above the pin I'I a suitable distance to receive a spring I8 which is seated at one end in the side of the .suction head 9 and engages at its outer end against the outer side of the latch lever I6 wedge part on the body section at said opposite to urge the upper end thereof outwardly Iand provide a continuous bindingaction of the claw I 5 against the bead I 4. The upper end of the latch lever vI 6 is also in posi-tion rto be readily engaged by the thumb or fingers for locking the lever I6 and releasing the bead I4 from the claw I5. In this manner the lower section Il of the suction head may be quickly and easily removed for the purpose of cleansing the same, and may be quickly replaced, the pressure of the claw I5 causing the beads I2 and I4 .to be properly vseated and to force the lower section VII upwardly against the head.

For the purpose of holding the bottom `or lower section II from shifting lengthwise of the beads I2 and I4, the bead I4 is( provided with' a pin I9 projecting from the inclined surface thereof and engaging in a slot 20 provided in the lower end of the claw I5, the pin engaging the walls of the slot andholding the lower section against shifting.

The means thus provided for detachably holding the face or bottom section Il on the body section of the head not only eifectively holds the parts'together but also tends to constantly draw the parts together to insure. a firm seating of the lower sectionagainst the body section and thus seal the head atthe jointbetween theA two sections. The parts of the holding deviceare also out of .theway-and do not interfere with the o-peration of the head or of the other Idevices of the tobacco wrapping machine which vare adjacent the head during its movements between the cutting table and .the wrappingmechanism.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and designof .the abovespeci'lcally described embodiment of thisinvention withoutl departing from the spirit thereohsuch changes andymodications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar .Wrapping machine, a suction head having a body section, a bottom section removably seatedthereagainst, said sections havside of the head for engagement with the adjacent xed wedge part of the bottom section to bind the xed and movable wedge parts together at one side of the head and the interiitting Wedge parts together at the other side of the head for binding the bottom section against the body section and means carried partly by said bottom section and partly by said wedge part for holding the bottom section against endwise movement.

2. In a cigar wrapping machine, a suction head having a body portion and a surface plate portion detachably fitting against the body portion, said surface plate portion including a pairof parallel wedge-shaped beads at opposite sides facing outwardly and downwardly, said body portion including an inclined depending ange at one Aside for engaging the adjacent bead on the surface portion a spring pressed claw mounted on the opposite side ofthe body portion and directed inwardly to engage the opposite bead for urging the rvst bead upwardly into the flange and yfor urging the second bead upwar-dly to yieldingly hold the surface portion in sealed engagement with the body portion, an outwardly extending pin carried by one of said pair of beads, said claw having a recess to receive said pin to thereby hold said plate portion against endwise ,movement.

3. In a cigar wrapping machine, a suction head having abody portion and a bottom portionk fitting against the lower endof the body portion, said bottom portion having outwardly flaring beads at opposite sides, said body portion having an inturned ange vengaging one of said beads, a

ofthe Ybody portion and having a claw on its lower end inturned at an angle to engage the..

other bead of the bottom portion, and a spring carried b y the body portion engaging .the upper end of the latch lever to yieldingly hold the lower end thereof against its bead and to urge `by a transverse pressure the bottom portion into position beneath the body portion and with thebeads engaging respectively lthe ange andthe claw, said opposite side of said `body and ,'said claw having interengvaging means forV holding said bottom portion against endwise movement.

4. In'a cigar wrapping machine, a suction head having a body portion, a depending flange carried by one edge of said body portion, said ange beingformedon its inner face with a V-shaped groove having one side thereof horizontal and coplanar-,with the bottom surface of said body portion, a bottom part tting against the bottom surface of said body portion, a pair of V-shaped parallel beads carried yby said bottom part .adjacent the upper edge thereof, one of said beads We-dgingly engaging in said groove, a springpressed latch lever' pivotally carried by said body CoNsTANTIN FRIEDRICH RBER.